One Chance
by Lopunny1116
Summary: -My first story, so please be kind. :) - A young girl finds Daryl after Beth's disappearance. They try to survive together from Walkers, people and whatever other obstacles life likes to throw at them.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't anything but my own character!

**Chapter 1: One shot, One Opportunity**

The glaring sun draped heat over the vast fields of grass and growing flowers. The trees seemed to sigh whenever the soft breeze danced around them. A long road traveled for miles with shattered cars, parked carelessly to the side and left to rot. A dead body lay motionless on the ground. Not the first that was seen, but a shiver still ran down her spine at the sight. At least the already dead undead couldn't bite.

Natalie Lovato walked in the middle of the road, a blue backpack hanging from her shoulders as she kept a close hand on the knife attached to her jeans. A bead of sweat splashed onto her brown locks, but she did not want to remove her black hoodie. She's been walking for hours, looking for a sign of anyone alive. Her friends and group had taken shelter in a big house until it was overrun by a horde. She was the only one to make it out in time. Bowing her head, she let a single tear fall. A leftover from last night's crying . But god, did she wish she had her iPod. It was the only thing that ever calmed her emotions. A familiar sound stopped her in place. Zombies were close by. Not only that, they appeared to have found a meal. She quickly ran to the side of an abandoned vehicle, hoping her steps were as quiet as possible. Up ahead there were three zombies enjoying a small lunch of deer. She breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn't noticed her presence. And out of luck they had the road blocked. There was no way to go around without leaving the main road. She cursed inwardly, she had to take a detour through the woods. Ducking her head down so they could not see her, she made her way between the trees. A close watch on her surroundings, her brown eyes never missed when an insect flew or the twigs to avoid stepping on. Any sound, no matter how loud, could attract those things at any second. She was about to pass a very large tree when her eyes lead to a corpse laying against its trunk. Dirty and torn clothes, skin dead and falling, eyes grayed and closed, but motionless. Was this man alive or dead? There was no apparent bite wound, and not much blood either. She pulled out her knife then took a cautious step to the body. It made no action. Not letting her guard down, she held onto the knife tightly and began to whistle. The head of the dead man lifted in her direction with a low growl coming from its ugly lips. Without a hesitation she stuck her blade in his head and watched it slice through the center of his skull, then twisted it for precaution. The now dead zombie slumped back against the tree while she pulled her knife out, wiping the blood off with her shirt.

"Gross..." she muttered, realizing that she'd never get used to seeing those things and trying to kill them. She continued her walk, the zombie long forgotten. A mile she traveled before coming near a blue tent. A large bush covered her as she scanned the area. An empty chair placed next to the tent's entrance, the opening of the tent blew when the wind hit, crumpled balls of paper rolled on the dirt floor. Nothing stirred, nothing wandered out. Twenty minutes passed, at least that's what it appeared to her, then she got enough courage to go inside the tent. The knife clutched in her fist, heart racing, anything could be there, or anyone. Alive or dead, she didn't know which she preferred. 'Calm down', she told her quickening pulse. Once she grabbed the flap of the tent, she threw it to the side and braced herself. Empty. Nothing but a red sleeping bag, halfway open and dusty dirt lined its edges.

"It's not the Extended Stay but it'll do for now." A kick to the sleeping bag cleared most of the dust and dirt, she considered it better than sleeping outside on the hard dirt and in cold air. The tent zipped completely close, shielding her from any curious eyes that could walk by. She let out a shaky breath while twisting her hair into a bun. She snuggled slightly in the sleeping bag, unable to fully relax. No place was guaranteed safe. Tears flushed her eyes, she did not wipe them away. What was the point if she was alone? Her friends, not the best of them yet something, were gone. Taken by a terrible fate, the images burned inside of her mind. Blood flying through the air, screams coming from all directions, struggles to be free and away from the danger. A choked sob forced its way out of her mouth. 'Stop it, quit being weak' she told herself. It's what her older brother would've said. It felt like someone had pressed the Repeat button. The images kept spinning in her head, from one violent scene to the next. Get out, get away! They began to fade, becoming blurs of color floating. Finally, sleep overwhelmed her body and caused her muscles to slightly relax. The darkness arrived.

Beth. That was the only thing on his mind as he ran down the road. Everything that happened flashing over and over again. Walkers bursting through the door, him yelling at Beth to run, run fast and far. Where no one could harm her. But something did harm her. Someone. Someone had actually taken her away from him. That damn car driving away with Beth, his last friend. The one person who was bringing his hopes up for humanity, only to have them come crashing around him He was alone, no friends and definitely no family. He shook his head at the thought of his brother. That idiot who always managed to find trouble, the idiot he missed at times. After all, he was still family. But that was gone now. Everything gone, everyone disappeared from his life. Why? Why was fate bringing him good people who welcomed him, relied on him, and trusted him, just to send them to cruel and unthinkable places. He screamed her name again but he knew there was no use. She was gone too far to ever hear his voice again. Legs sore, he was exhausted after running for hours trying to catch up. It was stupid of him to try, but he had to try. Not just for him and Beth, but for Hershel. The man who never did any harm to anyone, the man who suffered a horrible death that could've been prevented. The name forced him to lose it, he fell to the ground on his knees and hands. A silent cry came out. Tears burned within his eyes but he had no strength to fight them. He shook his head again before colliding his fist with the ground. Great, his hand throbbed with a small pain now. 'Idiot', he told himself. Definitely a trait from his brother. His body slumped to the floor. Exposed and vulnerable, he did not care if Walkers were nearby or if someone ran him down. He almost wished for death. What did he have to live for now? Nothing. That was the last thought in his mind as exhaustion took over and he fell into a disturbed slumber.

"Beth!" a loud voice screamed. Her eyes snapped open as the voice shook

through the trees. She hurried for her knife and sat up. The voice faded, was it just two hiking buddies? A male voice screaming desperately. She bit her lip, not sure if she should go outside. 'I can't just ignore it, knowing I could've done something to help. God!', she thought as she ran a trembling hand through her hair. When she unzipped the tent she saw nothing. Trees surrounded her tent, brushing in the breeze ever so slightly, no sights of any animals but she heard an owl 'hoo' in the distance. Lucky bird, he could merely fly away from all danger. The night sky gleamed with stars, the moon full and content. Nights like this almost made the world feel peaceful. It was a lie, she knew. A lie she could not afford to believe. She followed the direction of the nearest road, breathing low and slow as she darted in and around trees and bushes. Zombies were no where around, thank Goodness! A few feet ahead of her was the road situated next to a set of railroad tracks. Making out a dark figure, she could see someone fall to the ground. Silently she made her way towards the figure. Not forgetting her knife, she approached the figure from behind. She released a breath she didn't know was being held.

"H-hello?" her quivering voice asked the figure. It stirred and let out a groan. Sitting upwards, the shadow did not face her or call back. Her fingers flexed around the knife. "Hello? Say something if you're alive. I don't wanna hurt you."

Suddenly her brown eyes were analyzing bluish-green eyes that staring back at her. It was a man, couple of years older than her 21 years, with brown strands hanging to the sides of his face. His eyes were not filled with any obvious emotion, almost indifferent. He made no sound though. What was wrong with him?

"I said, 'say something'." she repeated, biting her lip and glaring at him. He stood up and she quickly took a step back, not letting go of her knife.

"Get the hell away from me." he demanded in a neutral tone. Walking away, he paid her no more mind. This wasn't what she expected. He likely did not want her following yet she started to follow him.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He stopped after hearing her question. "Are you okay? Um, I know you don't know me, like, at all. But I have a tent not far from here?"

He turned around and stomped up to her. "What part of 'leave me alone' do you not get?"

"And leave you out here alone? Seriously?" she replied, following him back to the train tracks. He froze when he reached where the tracks kissed the road, his eyes staring down. "What the hell do you care for? I could be a psycho, a murderer, and here you are."

"I'm thinking psycho now," she mumbled, hoping that he did not hear. "You're right, it's stupid of me to ask a complete stranger to come with me but you know what? I have to try, I have to see if I can help you in any way. Because, you know what, that's what good people do! For all I know, you could be a-" A rough hand on her arm interrupted her, though it wasn't forceful.

His eyes burned at her. "Don't you fuckin' tell me a thing about good people. There ain't no damn good people anymore!"

"Yes, there are. They're just as rare as a rainbow-colored unicorn, you asshole!" A hint of confusion flashed then faded away, replaced with anger. She wasn't going to back down without a fight, if only he didn't have that cursed mouth on him. "So, you're telling me you're not a good person then? If you weren't a good person, why were you trying so hard to call that girl's name, why did you have such a big reaction to her disappearance? Because you care, and you know who cares? People who are good, you stupid prick!"

He shoved her backwards, causing her to crash on the ground. She tried not to shrink back when he toppled over her body."The hell you think you are! I don't need no lesson from some stupid bitch trying to get herself killed. You don't know shit about me! You don't know shit about what happened, so don't even try ta play that fucking game!"Standing up, he muttered something that sounded like, 'goddamn spick.'

'That racist jerk!' she yelled inwardly. She was about to retort when he sat on the floor, head in his hands and shaking.

"Just go already." whispered the man.

She turned on her heel and began walking away. "Fine."

If he wanted to be alone, then she'd let him. No words were exchanged again between them. Pushing out the consequences, she continued without a second glance. The tent remained in the same place. She entered before lying on the sleeping bag. She closed her eyes, trying to resist a loud groan. Why was he so selfish and rude! The thought of him getting harmed in any way tonight gave her a chill. He chose to be that way, why did she still care? Zombies, robbers, wild animals, anything could be out there with that idiot wanting to be alone. 'Shut up, shut up. He's not your problem!' an inner voice yelled at her. A silent argument raced inside of her mind. Her palm hit her forehead when she realized she was arguing with herself. Then the undeniable sound of footsteps filled her ears. Someone was heading in her direction. She rushed to her feet and moved silently to peek outside. The tension in her body loosened a bit at the sight.

"Knock, knock." a hoarse voice said. It was the man she had just met. A backpack was strapped to his back and he lazily carried a crossbow in his right hand. He avoided eye contact.

"Hey. Wanna come in for a bit?" she asked and smiled softly. He nodded and joined her inside the tent. She zipped up the flap before scooting down to make room. He sat down and placed his backpack as a makeshift pillow on the floor. Seconds later his head made contact with the crafted pillow. She watched him in silence, as if a word would disrupt the scene in front of her.

"Listen," she started while turning around and creating her own space. "I'm sorry about what happened. That wasn't exactly a good first impression. So, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot." She was comfortable in the corner after a few minutes. When she faced him to speak again, she realized that he had fallen asleep. His breathing came out slow and calm, eyes squeezed shut, his arm draped over his head as he twisted around and continued to sleep. A smile crept on her face, he looked less like a racist jerk in this position. 'What a night', the last words she remembered before sleep won the battle.

A sound, like a silent plea, drifted through her ears. Darkness blinded her vision, not wanting to open her eyes. She willed sleep to come back to her, it wasn't morning yet. Was it? She opened one eye then sighed. No sun and a chilling breeze rocked the tent. Lifting herself halfway, she glanced to the other side. The man was asleep, one arm under his backpack and the other clutching the shirt under his jacket. Dirt and grass covered half of his clothes, she wondered how long he was out there. The brown strands on his head were messy from his tossing, yet they still shone in the light. That sound again. She saw it come right from his mouth this time.

"Hey?" she whispered and scooted further towards him. "What's wrong?"

Lips moved, but he did not answer. He was still asleep. She was about to lie down until she heard him whisper something.

"What's wrong?" she tried, knowing it was pointless since he couldn't hear her in whatever dream he was having. She had no clue what else to do. Then he mumbled a word in the form of a question. It was barely audible but she caught the name. The one he yelled in the middle of the road. Poor guy, he must be terribly missing her. Damn, what was she supposed to do or say to that? Another whisper. This time she only heard the words 'you' and 'gone'.She closed her eyes, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.  
"I'm sorry you went through that." Natalie quietly told him. It was depressing to see him asking for the missing girl, oblivious to a painful reality. Another whisper sounded like 'don't go'. She turned around, though she didn't have much space between them, and tried to sleep. But the second his arm touched her, grabbing her waist, she stilled. A stranger was touching her, those words repeating in her head. Ready to freak out, she stopped when his sleeping lips moved again.

"Beth," he spoke softly in between calm breaths. "don't... go..."

He thought that she was Beth. 'Oh, god, what do I do? Wake him, move away, what?' No, she couldn't move far with his strong yet gentle hold. She could wake him, but that would be very awkward. What was she going to say, 'Sorry, but I'm not your missing girlfriend, wife, sister or whatever'? That would not work. It was one night, one time. She did nothing, figuring it wouldn't hurt this one time. As long as that hand didn't go lower or higher, they were okay. The thought of an unknown man holding her still made it difficult to relax. After concentrating on her breathing, no other sounds resumed, she eventually fell into a light slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Good Morning**

Hours passed until the sunlight, dimmed by the roof of the tent, threatened to wake her. The threat was successful as she grew irritated of the light banishing her peaceful darkness. She opened her eyes and began to yawn. Stopping mid-yawn after realizing she could not move her body, she noticed a strong arm around her stomach with a heavy weight behind her. 'What the hell...' she asked herself, panic setting in. She inhaled sharply, daring to roll over to see his face. Brown eyes grew wide at the sight of the unknown man sleeping peacefully close to her. Her scream of 'Holy shit!' couldn't be resisted. It startled the man awake. She struggled before freeing herself and pushing her body to the corner of the tent. He sat on the opposite side, equally panicked.

"What the fuck?" Confusion evident in his voice as he ran a hand through his hair.

A flashback of last night appeared so she let the shock release, calming herself with the knowledge of it being an accident. "I'm sorry, it was an accident. It was just kinda scary to wake up like that. You didn't do anything wrong."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking relieved. "Scared the shit outta me. The hell was I doing anyway?"

A frown lined her face and she looked down. "Well, umm. You kinda thought I, uhh, was Beth."  
"Oh." was all he managed to say. Obviously this was a sensitive topic. She made a mental note to not bring it up again.

"It's okay. It was an innocent mistake, don't worry about it." She smiled and attempted to change the subject. "What's your name?"

He gladly encouraged the new topic by the look of his new position, lying down with both legs crossed and his hands rubbing his eyes. "Daryl. How 'bout you? Ya look sorta Spanish but ain't got no accent."

"That's because I was born here. Well, not here as in Georgia, but California, Gringo." she smiled mischievously at him, guessing he did not know the word.

Her guess proved right when his eyebrow raised and he looked ready to strangle her. Whether or not he would strangle her was a gamble she wasn't taking.

"Second time I got called that in my life. Wanna tell me what it means before I force it outta ya?"

She rolled her eyes, this guy needs to learn to take a joke.  
"Just kidding, dude. It's only another word for saying 'white boy'. It's one of the few Spanish words I know." She blushed at the confession, but felt a twinge in her chest. "My mom and dad always asked me why I never spoke Spanish. I always said, 'because I'm American in America' but they never pushed me to learn. And I appreciated that."

"Sorry." he replied, eyes downcast.

She shook her head then crawled out the tent. She left the entrance halfway open so he followed her steps. A few feet away from him, she bent down and wiped annoying tears from her face. Stop it, she scolded herself, don't be so emotional. He watched her, she could sense it. She straighten up and sniffled.

"Don't say anything, please." she begged when he was about to speak. Only few had seen her cry before, she hated it. Hated feeling so weak and emotional. Hated the way people would look at her after finding out.

"It's alright ta cry, y'know, everyone does it a'least one time." He decided to leave it alone after she ignored him and walked past him back into the tent.

"Are you hungry? I have a few cans of vegetables and fruit, if you want." Out of her backpack came a can of peaches and a can of pineapple slices. Sitting down across from him she rolled the peaches can towards him and kept the other can for herself.

He nodded and began working on the lid of the can. "How'd ya know I like peaches?"

"Back in California, we always heard about Georgia being famous for their peaches. So I went with that, plus I hate peaches and needed to get rid of them." The lid of her can came off easily, being one of those with the little handle on it.

"Heh. Didn't know we were famous for somethin'. You ain't told me your name yet." he reminded her as he pushed a slice of peach through his lips. "What's a girl like you doin' out here in Georgia, anyhow?"

She stared in disbelief at him, not even 24 hours has passed and here he was asking so many questions. "Well, nosey, I was sent out here by my brother. He wanted me to visit him after he moved out of California. And yeah, sorry, my name is Natalie. It's, um, interesting to meet you, by the way. And chew with your mouth close!"  
"Oh, sorry 'bout that. Is this better?" He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue laced with food.

"Gross!" she exclaimed, turning away from him after losing her appetite. Damn him, she thought. The smirk drawn upon his face irked her. "Anyway! I wanna get to the real point."

He continued to eat, glaring at her while chewing with a closed mouth. "Which is?"

"Wherever you go, I wanna go too." she replied. Being alone, especially as a female, was not a great option. Difficult to admit, but she needed him. The only sane person she had come in contact with so far. Of course he did not need her, or even want her. That could be changed though.

"Huh, that so?" he asked, getting a nod in response. "Too fuckin' bad. I'm done with that shit."

"What? You're not serious, are you? You can't just leave me alone!" She scanned him for any signs that he was joking. He appeared dead serious. How could he say that!  
Dark blue eyes burned into her own. "Watch me."

With that, he exited the tent and began walking away. She shook her head and followed after him. The quick strides he possessed had him a few feet ahead of her, dodging in and around trees. It took minutes for her to catch up. The older man was nearly too fast for her. He stopped, turning sharply around to face her. The collision of bodies sent her backwards, he stood unfazed.

"What?" he said angrily.

"What do you mean, 'what'? We're not finished talking about this!" The discussion was still fresh, at least to her. Daryl crossed his arms over his chest, not interested. She could not believe that he was acting this way. What normal person would.  
"Like hell we ain't." The way he towered over her reminded her of just how short she was. Clearly she was nothing compared to him. "You think you can just strut over here an' tag along ta me! Another fuckin' burden on my shoulders? Another mouth I have ta feed? Another spoiled little bitch who's gonna get killed sooner or later, ya really think I need that shit in my life!"

She scoffed at him, wondering how he had the nerve. "What are you talking about?! You don't know me at all, so how the hell can you predict my future? What's so wrong about me wanting to go with you?"

"I don't need another Beth." he said darkly, jaw clenched tight. "Don't tell me what the fuck ta do. You don't know half the shit I seen or what I did ta survive!" At this point his voice had risen, forcing her to back away from him. That second she realized the reason he was acting this way.

"Beth? I don't know what happened between you two. But I'm not trying to be another Beth. I'm my own person. Just because something bad happened doesn't mean it's always going to be that way! I don't wanna be your girlfriend, your wife, or your sister. And I definitely don't wanna be someone you'll have to bury. I'm just trying to be your friend in a hard time!" she yelled back at him, though her voice failed to sound angry and loud. More like a child trying to defend against a parent.

"God damnit! Shut the fuck up! I'm not listenin'!" He shook his head, vigorously pacing in front of her.

She was about to retort when he put his hands on the sides of his head, as if trying to will something away. The word 'psycho' popped into her head once more, though this was no time for laughing. The way he closed his eyes and wasn't facing her made her question if he was speaking to her anymore. She watched him, not daring to touch the man. If he acted this way after hearing a few words, she did not want to know how he reacted to unexpected touches. Especially while angry.

"Daryl!" He stopped before deciding to plop onto the ground, his eyes on the dirt, arms draped over his knee. A murmur of 'What?' barely touched her ears. "Don't you think I lost people?! I saw my damn friends get killed, I don't know where the hell my family is or if they're even alive! What the hell, you think you're the only one with problems? Ignorant asshole, wake the hell up!"

She had to pause for air then continued her frustrating rant. "Look, I took a chance on you last night. You were just a stranger to me, you still are. You could've raped me, attacked me, or killed me and took my stuff without a second thought. But you didn't, so I was glad I took the risk. Whether you like it or not, I'm going with you. I don't wanna be alone and I don't want to know what'll happen if you're alone."

He let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping down as he closed his eyes. He spoke yet it felt like she wasn't supposed to hear it. "I'm just tired of losin' people. Tired of thinkin' I coulda done something different and things would be okay."

"It's not your fault. You're just one man, you can't protect everyone and you can't predict the future. You just have to move forward." It wasn't a lie. If he lost her then at least it would not hurt him much since he knew nothing about her, it would not be a big loss to him. Saddened blue eyes gazed down upon her as she sat next to him. She smiled, slightly trembling with grief. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." he whispered. Her hand brushed his shoulder, producing a flinch, before she pulled him into half of a hug. No pulling away, no words, she took that as a good sign.

"C'mon. Let's take a nap. You could definitely use it, psycho." She giggled at his glare and stood up, waiting for him before walking back to their little area. He walked behind her, seeming to enjoy the silence. It was afternoon when they reached the tent area. Time goes by fast when you're yelling at each other like five year-old paused at the entrance to the tent. She raised an eyebrow to him. He shook his head and held the flap open for her.

"Ladies first." he said.

The kind gesture made her grin, this was a nice change of attitude She nodded her thanks then bent down to enter the tent. Halfway through she felt a large hand on her lower back that suddenly pushed her forward. She fell straight into the sleeping bag with a thud. Right behind her was Daryl entering as he snickered.

"What the heck?" Rubbing her side, she felt like throwing a heavy object in his direction. Too bad there was no soccer ball lying around.

"That's for callin' me 'psycho'." A long finger pointed in her direction. "Do it again an' see what happens."

Not afraid of the Southerner's threat, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, wow. I'm so scared. Let me go hide in a tree next time."

A snort escaped his mouth, grabbing his knife he moved closer until they were inches apart. "You best be scared. Hate ta have ta cut off all that pretty dark hair." The blade in his hand wrapped around a strand of her hair for emphasis. Then he smirked. He backed away, amused by her wide eyes that stared at the knife and the way she held her breath.

Unbelievable, she thought, he was playing games with her. Though she did not want to test him and see if he was bluffing. At least not today. She exhaled slowly, following with a "Prick."

"Brat." he retorted, that playful smile on his face irritating her.

Like a child being grounded, she stuck out her tongue. The movement was gladly mimicked by Daryl. A loud, and annoyed, groan built in her throat. This guy was unbelievable. Not to mention moody. This was an interesting start. Who knew where it would lead them, hopefully in a place with walls so she did not have to see his annoying smile. The thought made her laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Another Day**

Beautiful grass, long and free, lined the round clearing. Leaves swayed downwards, tickled by the air's gentle push. Bright rays provided warmth to whoever dared to enter their vision away from the cooling shade. In the middle sat a large bush, spotted with white roses around its edges, that seemed blissful yet out of place. Suddenly, he appeared several feet away from the bush. Nothing looked familiar, he had no clue where this place was or why he was here. As if reading his mind, a voice called out his name. It was soft, his ears barely picking up the familiar sound. A voice he hadn't heard in a while, a voice he missed. Running to the source, behind the bush, he wanted nothing more than to see if it was true.

"Beth?" he called out as he passed the bush. And there, in the field of empty grass, lay Beth. Blonde hair glimmering a golden tint, large blue eyes blinked at him with recognition and happiness. A gasp escaped him. She looked exactly the way he last her, tank top and blue jeans freed of any dirt or blood though. He bent down, daring to touch her extended hand and help her stand. The contact sent him shrinking backwards, feeling as if a flame burned his skin.  
"You don't touch the dead, Daryl." whispered the blonde. When the words left her mouth, the grass around them burst into flames and formed a large circle. The white roses bled, turning into black as burning branches fell beside them. When he turned back to Beth, ready to grab her and run, he froze. Blue eyes, now lifeless and dull, stared back at him, blonde hair no longer shining but instead covered in blood. A bite marked leaked streaks of blood down her torso, staining her clothes. A threatening growl emitted from her black and bloodied lips. This couldn't be happening. Everything was fine moments ago, he thought, panic setting in. Then she moved, so quick he just had enough time to catch her wrists as she snarled angrily at him.  
"You did this to me! You don't deserve to live!" she yelled, hate dripped with each word, baring her teeth like a rapid dog.

Daryl jumped backwards, rushing away from his makeshift pillow. Panting, he looked around. He was inside the tent, the tent he shared with Natalie for the past week. It was dimly lit outside, almost reaching dawn. It was only a dream. The words repeating in his head, trying to calm his breathing. It meant nothing. No, that was a lie. It was all true, it was his fault. Nothing could change that. And he knew, the realization slapping him until another voice called out to him.  
"Daryl? Are you okay?" the brunette turned to look at him from her position in her sleeping bag. Concerned eyes scanned him for a silent answer.

"I'm fine. Thought I heard somethin' outside." The lie didn't seem to convince her but she nodded and bid him a good night, leaving it alone. It was too early to be awake. A few more hours sleep would do him good. Lying down again, head resting on his pillow and eyes close, the fresh images appeared and forced his eyes open. No way he was sleeping now. He sighed, settling to stare at the ceiling of the tent. Trying to distract himself, he wondered what to do today. They had to move, it was too risky to stay any longer before a herd or people noticed their location. Moving on meant surviving. They were headed East until... he let the thought trail off, not wanting to think about that. Looking at the young brunette opposite him distracted him. She was nothing like Beth, physically anyway. This one had medium brown hair that ran in small waves down her back, dark brown eyes would look at him, instead of the light blue he was used to. Tanned skin covered her young body, nothing like the flawless pale skin. They were similar, though, in which they both held an optimistic view despite everything. This one had a smart mouth, however, and she dared to test him. Sarcastic little shit. She was shorter, almost 5 foot 2 inches if he guessed correctly. Beth, last time he checked, was nearly 18 or 19 years old so she had been tall for her age. It made sense considering Maggie held a perfect posture and height as well. Shut up, he told himself, stop thinking about the past. The silent murmurs of him counting his breaths relaxed him. An old trick Merle had taught him when he had trouble sleeping as a kid. He forced the thought away and continued counting. Soon, his entire body relaxed and he fell back to sleep.

"Where are you going?" Natalie shouted to him, controlling the volume in case any unwanted guests were close. There she sat on the edge of a pond. It was a quiet pond Daryl had found days ago. Small, yet quiet, it also provided them a chance at seafood when he was getting tired of eating fruits and veggies. He was a man, he needed some kind of meat. After finding the pond, they decided it was a good idea to wash up before departing. The girl stared at him, awaiting a reply.  
"Gettin' outta here. Never been the kind for a peep show." Merle was always good at that, spying on unsuspecting girls until they're were nude. The stupid pervert.

"Can you stay, please? Just a few minutes, I'll be quick." Red colored her cheeks and she turned away from him in an attempt to hide it. "I don't wanna be here by myself."  
Damn it, was she serious? This was a young adult asking him to babysit her. Stupid girls, always afraid of something. "Fuck," was muttered under his breath. "Fine, hurry up. And don' worry, I ain't a perv so I'm lookin' the other way. Watch out for walkers or somethin'."

"Thanks!" was all he heard before turning the opposite direction. She must've been getting undressed this moment. It shouldn't take long considering she was wearing a pair of jeans shorts and a white tank top under a black T-shirt. The sound of slight splashes filled his ears. Stupid kid, she was supposed to wash in the water, not play. Ignoring it, he glanced around the area. A couple of large rocks covered them, there was about three trees with little shade. That, hopefully, warmed up the water. The sound of water moving quickly caught his attention. He held the crossbow firmer, resisting the urge to whirl around.

"Ya alright over there?" A zipper closed and he heard a sigh of relief.

"I'm good, just about finishing getting dressed." she replied.

He raised an eyebrow in thought, then stopped realizing she could not see it. How did she finish so fast? Only ten or so minutes passed. "The hell. Ya sure you finished already?"  
"Yeah, I never liked long showers. And definitely not baths or swimming. I always avoided it, even during summer." The way she spoke, he wondered if she was glaring daggers at the cursed liquid. That made him snort. How childish. Water was the most important thing to humans, and this one wanted nothing to do with it even after the end of the world.  
"Water ain't gonna bite you, unlike some things out here."

He felt her presence immediately before hearing her words in that damn sarcastic tone. "Haha, you're so clever. I'm not afraid of water, I just avoid it."

"'Cause you're scared of it." he said, looking over his shoulder to make sure that she was decent. Her tanned skin seemed to lighten up after washing. A feeling inside told him she wanted him close in case the blue liquid swallowed her up. That was idiotic in this day and age.

"I'm not scared!" A very defensive tone for someone denying fear. "I don't like it. There's a difference, Rambo."

The last part came out after he handed her his knife, it was twice the size of hers and much sharper. A square-like rock stood beside her so she sat on it, holding his crossbow in one hand and his knife in the other. She shifted awkwardly, not used to the extra weight of his weapon.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, Princess." An upwards tug of his lips couldn't be helped after she mumbled something, perhaps irritated, and waved a dismissive hand at him. The back of her dripping hair was all that faced him now. This was the part he always hated, getting undressed. Wasting no time, he kicked off his boots and brown pants. He left his jacket on the ground, not caring about dirtying it. Next came his sleeveless button-up shirt. It was definitely time for new clothes. A final peek towards the young girl assured him that she was not watching so he finished undressing. Jesus, he hadn't realized how messy he was until the water mixed with blood and dirt. Not his blood, thank God. The lukewarm water swirling around his body felt great, he did the same sigh of relief she did earlier. An awkward noise nearly had him tripping. He grabbed the closest edge of the pond to balance. Looking up, he saw that she was singing. It wasn't loud but his expert ears picked it up. The words flowed quietly as she rocked side to side on the rock. It was nothing like Beth's singing, this one was too awkward and nervous.

_ There's a place I know if you're looking for a show, where they go hardcore and there's glitter on the floor!_

The song rang in his head, begrudgingly familiar. One of Merle's slutty girlfriends liked the singer, who was obviously another slut.

"Hey! Shut it over there!" he hollered towards her. Thinking he could not hear her, she was startled and nearly fell off the rock.

"My bad!" she yelled back before changing to an offended tone. "Wait, screw you! Not my fault you have ears like a dog!"

He rolled his eyes and worked down his body, scrubbing at various points. "Yeah? Least I don't sound like one bein' kicked. And why a song by some drunk slut?"

An annoyed groan echoed from her mouth as she tried to ignore him, failing miserably since she kept mumbling something. This time he had to strain his ears to hear it. Deciding he was clean enough, he jumped out and grabbed his pile of clothes. It didn't take long to dry due to the sun shining directly upon them. After redoing his shirt, he looked at her sitting there while she still sang. Much quieter now. God, he wished that he had earplugs. He let out a small laugh at the happy thought. The next second, before he saw it coming, a little rock nipped him sharply on the side of his head.

"What the fuck!" He stalked up to her, wondering if it was time to give her that promised haircut.

"That's for laughing at me." she said and turned away from him. A hint of amusement in her voice caused a twitch in him. "It was just a little rock. Take it like a man."

"What'd ya expect me to do, you ain't exactly Britney Spears! And fuck you!" Get a hold of yourself, he thought, it's just an annoying little shit. No need to lose your temper. The last time that had happened had been a while, back in Atlanta if he remembered correctly. Over the year he learned to have more patience and understanding with those around him. A good ass whipping would teach her some respect, though, he heard an inner voice tell him. He smirked at the idea then shook it away. He wasn't this girl's father or brother so he held no right. The haircut plan was probably best.

"Are you ready to go or what?" she asked, standing to hand him his weapons which he gladly took. The urge to pull her by the hair and slice it all off made him walk faster and ahead of her. Don't do it, he repeated, not yet.  
"What kind of music do you like?" The question caught him by surprise, she asked it casually like they weren't bickering minutes ago. "I like mostly pop and a few hip-hop songs."

A low chuckle came from him. Pop music always annoyed him, the beat was just too sappy and girly. Even with male singers. Hip-hop was okay, but he was not a huge fan. "My brother showed me all these different bands, half of them sucked ass. The words were alright. Hated those screaming pricks, though. Metal, I think Merle called it, drove me fuckin' crazy. Had to yell for him to turn the shit down."

By this point she started walking beside him, both looking ahead of them and enjoying the quiet woods. It was times like this that almost made him forget there was dead corpses trying to eat them alive.

"Heh, I know what you mean. My brother loved rap. It was so annoying cause he blasted it whenever he could. I wanted to break every CD but he'd just buy new ones. So yeah, that wouldn't work." The sentence finished with her laughing.

The gesture forced a genuine laugh out of him before he even realized it. The next second she fell sideways to the ground, tripping over a branch. No laugh came from him as he tried to rush at her side until two rough hands grabbed him by the shoulders, tackling him to the ground. The crossbow fell from his grip and he struggled to hold the dead man away. The undead bastard hadn't even made a sound or caught their eyes before attacking. The monster growled, frustrated by Daryl's fight. With his arm held against the monster's throat, he tried reaching for his knife. A pop caught his attention and he looked up to see Natalie holding his crossbow, eyes closed and her finger still on the trigger. Just as he guessed, she nailed him straight in the skull where a pretty red and black arrow stuck out. Pushing the disgusting body off of him, he exhaled deeply and pulled out the arrow before standing up. Then a thought hit him.

"Thanks," he said sincerely, it faded seconds later. "But good Lord, keep your eyes open! You coulda shot me instead of assface down there!" He pointed to the rotting body, which he almost forgot about. Walking over to it, he cursed and delivered a swift kick with every curse. A flashback of when a walker ate his deer appeared in his mind. "Fuckin'. Piece of. Shit!"

The sight of Daryl kicking an already dead guy had her giggling like a 4 year-old. He rolled his eyes before continuing their walk, very alert now. The rest of the walk was silent. A glance to her face, eyes staring down and lips frowning, confirmed his guess. Shit, he had clearly upset her. The words came out pretty harsh, he recalled.

"Look, I appreciate ya for savin' my ass back there." He almost reached out to grab her shoulder but pulled himself back quickly. "Bit of practice is what ya need."

"With your crossbow?" she asked in disbelief, aware of how precious it felt to the hunter. A nod from him caused her to beam, he chuckled at how easy it was to change her mood. "But why?"

"If I get another jam, ya gotta keep your eyes open and aim. Been shot before, ain't exactly a bee sting." A snort of amusement escaped him as he recalled the time Andrea grazed him. Luckily, for her, she didn't have the nerve to try it again.

That bright smiled crossed her face again and she let out a chirpy 'Okay!' that made him roll his eyes. They needed to find a good spot to shoot, secluded and big enough to place targets. An image of the clearing in his dream appeared, he shuddered. Not time to think about that. Besides, he had no clue if the place even existed. Likely his mind playing tricks again, he said inwardly while they walked back to camp. Another thought occurred: he was going to play teacher. Shit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Pressure**

A heavy weight landed in the palm of her hands. The black weapon added extra pressure to her stance, she was slightly shaking as she attempted to position it in line of her vision. Hands gripped the handle tightly, not daring to touch the trigger. Baby steps were needed, Daryl explained. A shaky breath was released, she needed to relax and still her body. The tip of the arrow almost reached her line of vision, bypassing the unmoving targets she tried to focus on. Daryl had lined up three glass bottles upon a large stump. It was nearly in sight until a small tremble wrecked her posture.

"Crap. I messed up again." mumbled the girl before lowering the crossbow.

The archer stepped beside her before slowly grasping the crossbow from the student. With his right hand hugging the trigger and his left holding up the front, he aimed and shot an arrow directly at his target: the middle bottle. It shattered as soon as it hit.

"Show-off..." Natalie teased to hide her discouragement.

"Just take it easy, girl. Quit bein' all skittish. Here," He returned the weapon to her. Reaching out to grab her hand, he hesitated for a split second then quickly composed and continued. And he called her skittish! The archer's right hand guided hers towards the trigger. "Hold it there, don't squeeze 'till ready."

A little tension rose in her muscles as he stepped behind, a few inches of space between them. They hadn't been this close since their first innocent night in her tent. It was an un-welcomed sensation but she ignored it. Nothing to worry about. His left hand cupped hers tightly around the handle, squeezing tightly when he felt her fingers begin to tremble. Stop it, she scolded herself. But a low chuckle interrupted her thoughts and she quirked her eyebrow while facing him now.

"Butter fingers." She whipped her head around to hide a small blush. His jokes were not helping. The sound of a slap against skin made her gasp, she had moved too quickly and her ponytail slapped him on the cheek.

"Son of a bitch," he cursed. "Never knew hair could bitchslap."

"My bad, Daryl!" She flashed a small smile, cheeks red. Her eyes instinctively went to his knife, it hung on the side of his pants. He glared at her then followed her gaze.

"That's strike two. One more an' ya can kiss that hair goodbye." A pale finger tapped his knife to emphasize his point. She laughed nervously and apologized once more. A part of her wondered how serious he was, though. She hated getting her hair cut before, so best not to test him. "I never liked having short hair. I had to get it cut hella short when I was little because I got lice from a classmate."

She felt his body vibrate against her as he tried to contain a laugh, failing terribly. Another blush and she cursed inwardly. It was shockingly an actual laugh. She huffed in annoyance before saying, "It wasn't funny! My hair was super curly and it sucked."

"I'm sorry," he tried to say but it came out like a giggle. "It's jus', I'm supposed ta be the redneck and even I ain't never had lice."

She groaned, completely embarrassed now. After he finally calmed down she asked him if they could continue. He responded with a 'Back ta business' but she could hear the smile in his words. Damn him! Ignore it. He repeated his earlier instructions and made sure that her hands were in the correct place again. Blinking, she tried to concentrate on lining the weapon with the bottle standing on the right side of the stump. It was a glass bottle resembling a beer bottle, dirty and its green color fading. Those could also be a good distraction to lure walkers in another direction. Daring not to move to avoid messing up her aim, she held her breath. His finger sat on her tanner finger, squeezing after he told her that was her shot. Glass cracked and shattered bits fell to the grass.

"Fuckin' A, girl!" A pat on her back almost sent her stumbling, the hunter forgot his own strength sometimes. She grinned and watched him load another arrow, the tips were green and white. He went to retrieve the shot arrow that had fallen to the side of the stump. Holding the weapon, she attempted to aim without him. The left glass bottle, striped with blue and white, stood still as if taunting her. She narrowed her eyes and squeezed the trigger. The arrow shot out, missing the bottle, and landed inside the stump directly under the bottle. Daryl grabbed it and shot daggers at her, she avoid the stare though.

"Uh, maybe we should take a break?" she asked and hoped that she didn't look as flushed as she felt.

He nodded and passed her, she followed without question. The way he navigated through the woods taught her that he knew where he was going every time. The man must have been raised around here his whole life. Though he was confident in his strides, she had been alert ever since that walker snuck up on them. Never hurt to be too careful.

The next day had her curious, Daryl was the only person she had met so far after losing her previous group. She sat down on the ground and watched him reach inside the tent to get his bag. It was morning so they had awoken early to get a start. Today they would move on to the next place. Daryl agreed it would be safest to avoid staying at one place for too long.

"Daryl?" He grunted in response without taking his eyes off the bag. Intent on doing something. Most likely counting their supplies since it was almost takeoff time. Tilting her head to the side, she asked, "What were you doing before we met?"

He froze, eyes and muscles literally stilled. That was not good. It was silent for nearly a minute before he answered.

"Doesn't matter." he muttered and resumed counting all of the items. A can fell out and rolled away from him, causing him to swear and pick it up.

"But-" He faced her, blue eyes piercing her like shards of glass.

"I said it doesn't matter!" he growled. The rough tone startled her. It was a reminder of his screaming at her that one night. Deciding not to push, she turned the light on herself.

"We had a small camp a couple hours away from where I saw you. Me and two friends went there after hearing the announcement. But a bunch of them..." she trailed off, a lump in her throat as she was unable to finish. When she looked back up at him he was already walking away. Good timing, she was just able to catch up to him and walked behind him. A bag was shoved towards her, he held the other and his trusty crossbow. It must be a supply run then, she thought. Where were they going to scavenge, though?

Daryl led her to a mid-sized building next to a set of train tracks, windows boarded up as the glass doors looked cracked and ready to collapse. The red bricks of the building held years of rust and dirt, not to mention the occasional bloody splotch. The sign was missing from the top, she guessed it was similar to a mini-mart or pharmacy. As soon as they stepped through the doorway, darkness blinded them with only one strand of light poking through the boarded window. Daryl turned on a flashlight and held it in one hand while carrying the crossbow in the other hand. Determined not to drop either. He walked silently, she crouched behind him and scanned the room for any movement or sounds. The shelves on her right were overturned, a mess of items scattered on the white tiles. To her left she saw the store looked normal, shelves upright with little damage or dirt. Strange. A nod was sent her way, signaling her to go around the opposite way. She did as instructed, knife ready in her grip as she rounded the counter and Daryl approached the other way. The flashlight sitting in his mouth and he had both hands focused on the crossbow. Nothing hid there, the whole place appeared empty. Thank goodness! Natalie stood up and walked around to the nearest shelf. She hummed, the remaining items were two cans of fruit knocked over and... Gasping, she could not believe it! A bag of skittles laid on the middle shelf. A wicked grin crossed her face when she spotted Daryl behind her.

"Got a sweet tooth?"

He noticed the bag of candy in her hand. "Hell yeah."

The items jiggled as she threw them in her bag. It was time to check the back of the counter. A few cardboard boxes stood in front of it, wrinkled and empty. Something caught her eye. A small white box with a red cross on the top. Examining it in her palm, she realized it was a box of Band-Aid. May come in handy one day, she thought. She had to squint due to the limited amount of light in the room.

"Time ta leave. Should be enough for a few days." Daryl must've had better luck, the bag hanging over his shoulder appeared bigger than hers.

"Awesome. I thi-" A rustle not far cut off her words, both spun around to seek the source. The same view greeted them, nothing moving. A rustle again. It was coming from behind the counter. What the hell, she thought, they had already looked behind there. The brunette walked cautiously towards the counter once more, the hunter beside her with his weapon ready. Again, it was empty. Then the sound, louder and nearer, roared. A door was several feet away from the counter, on a back wall. Daryl raised his crossbow high in the air and stepped to the door, nodding for her to open it. She stood against the wall, hand tight on the doorknob. Inhaling sharply, she eyed Daryl for the signal and he nodded again. She twisted the knob and the door slowly opened. Daryl stayed in place but lowered his crossbow. The look in his eyes made her curious then she peeked through the door and saw what stunned the archer. A young boy, maybe seven or eight years old, sat under a wooden table in the small office. Auburn strands cradled his face that held wide blue eyes, his skin was naturally pale, not at all sickly.

"Oh, my God..." whispered the girl, unable to stop staring at the sight before her. Finally, she glanced at Daryl and saw that he was still in shock. Damn, one of hem had to do something. A soft smile helped her show that she meant no harm. "Hey there. Are you okay?"

The boy's eyes darted to her then to her left, directly on Daryl. She crouched down to his level and took a small step forward.  
"It's okay. He won't hurt you. Neither of us will. Are you all right?" She swallowed thickly. "Did anyone hurt you?"

Relief washed over her when the boy shook his head to say 'No'. Blue, curious eyes stared at her again. The fear had faded, but just a little. She smiled at him, hoping to look gentle and trusting. Kids were not her best subject. Her hand reached towards him, it took seconds for the boy to respond. Then he stood up and grabbed her hand before she pulled him closer to scan him.

"I just gotta make sure you're okay. Don't worry." she reassured him after he sent her a questioning face. The boy was thin, yet not as if he was starving. Maybe someone had been taking care of him. Dread sparked inside of her at the thought of what could've happened to that person or persons. Ignoring it, she looked him up and down. Aside from a few scrapes, he was perfectly fine. Thank goodness. It dawned on her, Daryl hadn't moved or said a word since they found the boy. What was wrong with him?

"That guy over there," she pointed over her shoulder. "is Daryl. He's really nice so don't worry. He's just kinda shy around strangers. My name's Natalie. What's yours?"

An amused snort caused her to smile. That was a typical response.

The boy giggled before answering, "My name's Alex. Mom said she'd be back later."  
"When did she leave?" asked Daryl as he watched the boy stand up the same time as Natalie. His blue eyes, surprised, lingered on Daryl and it made the older man shift uncomfortably with his own eyes down.

"Two days ago, I think." he replied, voice shaky and he frowned.

Natalie gasped and looked quickly at Daryl then back to the boy. Two days alone out here. That would definitely be difficult for a child. How did he go unnoticed for so long? No matter, the boy now had these two to help him. They had no choice, they couldn't leave him out here. He would never survive longer.

"C'mon, let's go outside. It's boring in here." He grinned at her joking tone and nodded.

The three of them walked outside. Daryl walked a bit slower behind the girl and boy. The girl did not mind and attempted to think of something to help the boy feel better. A light feeling on her hand interrupted her thoughts. The boy walked alongside of her and grabbed her hand, not checking for any reaction. She sighed, happily without any irritation, and held his hand in hers as they walked. Inside she was worried and Daryl must have sensed it. He caught up to their pace before putting a comforting arm on her shoulders. The contact nearly made her stumble but she regained her balance in time. He stared straight ahead and she swore that she saw the corners of his mouth move upwards in a little smile. Or perhaps she was thirsty. Either way, she kept thinking maybe things would be all right.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Cheater**

Chirping and giggling filled the air as a young girl and small child played cards. Above them stood a tall tree with two birds, blue and happily squeaking, sitting atop a branch. In the midst of the green area Natalie sat on the grass, opposite Alex, facing a stump. Piles of blue with white cards laid across the surface of the stump. They were playing a game of Go Fish. They had invited Daryl to play but he denied, saying something about finding some meat. Apparently he was not keen on eating like a vegan. In her right hand were three cards left, a Jack, Two, and Four. Tilting her head, she glanced at the boy across from her. What are you hiding, she thought with a playful smile. Four cards were in his fingers. The boy did not falter, though, he seemed to be confident. She looked up to see Daryl walk towards them then stop by her side. He tapped the rope that held three dead squirrels, Grimacing, she looked away and heard him chuckle. Dead animals were not a sight she would get used to any time. The hunter continued walking, pausing by the boy.

"Hey, check if she got any two's." He winked at the kid.

Natalie feigned a shocked gasp. That little snitch! Well, 'little' might not be the right word for Daryl. She blushed, stopping any thoughts that might not be appropriate. The man had to be at least ten years older than her!

"Do you have any Two's?" Alex asked, a grin on his face.

"Thanks to Big Mouth, I do." she replied and pretended to glare at the older guy. She smiled again and handed him the card. "Let's see... do you have a Jack?"

"Go Fish." The boy laughed when she mumbled a 'Darn!'

Each of them had three cards now. A frown on the boy told her something was wrong. She put her cards down before leaning close to him.

"Everything okay?" He shook his head and whispered some words she failed to catch. She asked the kid to repeat himself. Then brown eyes widened at what he said.

"I gotta pee." he whispered.

That wasn't what she expected. Standing up, she motioned for Daryl to follow her and reassured the child that they would be right back. A couple feet they stood, facing each other quietly. How was she going to say this to him? Just plain and simple, she thought. Daryl started to fidget, growing impatient. She sighed. Screw it.

"You gotta do it." she finally said.

"Do what?" he asked, opening his bottle of water to drink. This made her wonder where her water bottle was, it was in her pocket moments ago. But when her hand reached down to grab it, she felt nothing but she noticed the familiar logo on the bottle Daryl was drinking. When and how he took it puzzled her mind until she returned to the issue at hand.

"You have to take him to the bathroom." Her words forced him to choke on a gulp of water, spitting it out on the floor. She snickered.

"I don't have ta do nothing. Why can't you take 'im?"

"Uh, because I'm a girl?" She rolled her eyes at his stupid question. Did he not know that the only girls to take boys to the bathroom were their mothers? This boy had to be between seven to eight years old, he still needed an adult.

"So?" was all he said.

"So, it would be kinda awkward for a little boy to go in front of a girl. Don't you think he might be kinda shy?" She couldn't believe that they were actually having this conversation. Was it not the most obvious thing in the world? "My brothers, when they were kids, always had my dad to take them to the bathroom. It's what little boys do!"

He scoffed before answering. "My brother and me never needed anyone ta help us take a piss. Hell, we did everythin' on our own."

She ran a hand through her hair, wondering why he made everything so difficult. "So you enjoyed doing everything on your own, never having anyone by your side?"

"Sure did." He began to walk back to the kid.

"Not one second did you want someone there?" She did the same, not leaving the discussion.  
"Nope."

"Liar." He stopped and turned around. Getting in front of her and standing inches away, she could feel his breathing getting heavy. He was not happy.

"Ya wanna repeat that, Sunshine?" he told her. Funny how his accent appeared thicker when he was angry, she noticed.

"I said 'liar'. Every child wants someone around them to help them feel safe and happy. Just because someone wasn't there for you, it doesn't mean you don't have to be there for someone else." She stared straight into blue eyes that radiated a strange intensity. He looked away and walked to the little boy. She quickly ran after him, hoping that he wasn't going to do something stupid. She watched him kneel down to the boy, asking him something. The boy nodded and grabbed a hold of the older man's hand. The touch was unexpected, at least to Daryl, since he appeared uncomfortable for a second before relaxing and leading the boy away. 'Was that so freaking' hard?" she laughed inwardly.

_Terrified screams filled the room, echoing to the upstairs of the house. She awoke with a start. What was going on? She hurriedly threw the covers off of her body and ran to her door. Pausing, she listened for a second. Her brother was yelling for her, she opened the door and ran down the stairs into the living room. The television flashed images of people fighting and screaming while running. Most of their things were either missing or knocked to the beige carpet. A second later, her oldest brother appeared. He was taller than her by a couple of inches, nearly ten years older. Working so hard had earned him some muscle that girls appeared to love, aside from his charismatic personality and short dark auburn strands. _

_ "What's going on? Where is everyone?" she asked him as he rushed around her to open a drawer under their black sofa. Out he pulled two handguns. _

_ "Take this and don't be scared." he said before handing her one. Now she was absolutely scared. Before she could question him, he disappeared into the hallway and then reappeared. He shoved a suitcase into her hands. "Pack up some stuff and meet me outside." _

_ "What... but.. What is going on?!" _

_"I don't know, but there's a virus going around. People are dying and coming back. We have to get outta here. Now, vamanos (let's go)!" he commanded as he followed her upstairs. _

_What the hell, people dying and coming back?! That was not possible... right? Dozens of questions flooded her mind, she couldn't keep track of things and began to hyperventilate while she tried to pack clothes and items. Suddenly, a crash happened. Something must have broke, by someone. _

_ "Shit." muttered her brother before looking at her. "Stay here, don't move or open the door until I say so." And with that he was gone to explore the source of the sound. She had no clue what to do, so she kept a strong grip on her gun and eyed the door. A few seconds passed and everything seemed quiet. Until she heard another crash. _

_ "Natalie! Get done here now! Let's go!" he yelled, slightly muffled by the walls but she had heard him and wasted no time. She finished packing and ran down the stairs. At the last step she stopped and scanned the room for her brother. A gunshot exploded and her brother grabbed her arm, forcing her to run as they made their way to the garage. When they were in the red sedan, he opened the garage door and she let a loud gasp. There, in the driveway, was a dead corpse walking on both feet. The corpse noticed them and growled. _

_ "What the hell is that!" she exclaimed. Instead of answering, he merely ignored her and slammed on the gas pedal. The car shifted into gear and dove straight into the corpse, hitting it with the bumper and hood which caused it to fly sideways from their path. Her brother mumbled a curse and she looked in the mirror to see why, more were surrounding the neighborhood. People ran out of their homes, screaming horribly as those monsters began to chase them. Natalie's hand covered her mouth and tears formed in her eyes. This was the end. _

Natalie shot up from her spot on the ground, very alert and awake now. Heavy breathing, only hers, mixed in the night air. Calming down, she glanced around. Everything was normal, or as normal as this world could get. Daryl slept across from her, on the other side of the fire, while Alex slept near her in a heavy jacket to keep him warm. The white, well, it was supposed to be white, wings on the back of the jacket let her know who it belonged to. He must've given it to the boy in the middle of the night. She snickered, he was sometimes scary yet kind. The image of her brother's face refused to leave. God, where was he? It was no use to question if he was alive, he had to be alive. One of the toughest men she knew. The similarities between him and Daryl were actually clear. 'Wait,' she thought to herself, 'ew, I can't compare those two.' It would be a complete turnoff to see her brother's behavior and image within him or any other man she liked. Gross. Wait, since when did she like Daryl? Damn it, has it been that long since she was around someone attractive that she found an asshole redneck attractive? What the hell, she cursed inwardly. With her head beginning to slightly throb she knew that it was too late at night to think so much and sleep was the solution.

A/N: Sorry for a really short chapter and delayed update! Things will be moving along better! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Gone**

"Where are we going?" asked the youngest brunette who played with the pockets of his small jeans, struggling with small legs to keep up a pace with the oldest brunette.

Daryl kept walking and ignored the boy's question. The question had already been asked six times, not to mention several other questions that the boy kept thinking up. 'Quiet' must not be in this runt's vocabulary. Christ, this boy reminded him too much of Carl. Always following him, always asking him stuff that he did not want to answer, always trying to play games, alwa-

"I spy something white." Natalie's voice cut through his thoughts, trying to distract the boy's attention away from him.

Since she was wearing a blue shirt with navy-colored jeans, there was only one thing white around this area. Daryl rolled his eyes. "Couldn't find somethin' less obvious?"

"What do you mean?" The amusement in her voice rang loud and clear.

If the boy wasn't irritating him, it was this girl. There was only one thing that reminded him of Beth in this girl: the loud mouth. She wasn't blonde, wasn't pale, and God knows she wasn't a good singer. He scratched his ear as he remembered that day at the lake. Shit, he missed that girl and that squirt with the big sheriff hat. And Rick especially. And Michonne, the only other person who could rival his level of intimidation. And Carol, he still had no idea what the hell happened that day with her and Rick.

"Daryl's jacket?" asked the kid in bright curiosity that made Daryl think, 'What the hell else?' But to his surprise Natalie denied his answer.

"Nope, not even close."

It couldn't have been the clouds, they were growing and turning gray. He cursed under his breath, rain was not useful and only helped the Walkers recognize their very alive scent. Natalie heard him swear and asked what the matter, to which he merely shook his head so she left it alone. No point in making them worry. It's been a few weeks, maybe a month or two, since he met Natalie. Days since they met Alex. It was interesting, to say the least. Before Alex arrived, Daryl randomly awoke to a sobbing young girl on some nights. It was always something different, she had no clue where her brothers were or if her mother was still alive in California. Daryl wasn't good with saying comforting words. So, every time, he just pulled her close to him and held her tight for her to let it all out. Best not to keep those things bottled in for long. Later they never mentioned it again, like Daryl she liked her privacy.

"The clouds?" guessed Alex.

She looked up to examine the clouds before shaking her head and saying, "Nah, too gray. Okay, I'll give you a hint: it's on our bodies, but not the same on all of us."

Oh, that's what she was getting at. He stifled a humored snort and mumbled 'sneaky little brat'. A slap to his shoulder caused him to glower at the culprit. Honestly, he hardly felt it. He was about to speak until the boy piped up.

"Oh, I know! Our skin color?"

"Yup! Good job, buddy!" she replied and patted the kid's back. The boy was smarter than he looked.

They did not have much time to continue their game when a sound reached his ears. Someone, or something, walking had cracked a twig and was slowly approaching them.

"I spy something dead." Daryl whispered before getting into a defensive stance with the crossbow. Behind him the other two stayed close and glanced around, trying to locate the source. The girl had her large knife ready while keeping one hand on the young boy. He commanded the two to stay in this spot, it was likely just the one walker so he could handle it alone. Walking past a few trees, he heard the undeniable gurgling. 'There, stomping around like a drunk chick at a party, was the dead bastard. It was a female, though, around mid thirties with dirty blonde hair tangled within itself. A torn black T-shirt with blood and dirt staining it covered most of its torso, a pair of jeans framed its legs but was cut around one knee. Probably got stuck and ripped it to be free, stupid idiot. He wrinkled his nose at the rotting smell, it always stung no matter how many times you smell it. The walker hadn't noticed Daryl sneaking behind it yet until he was inches away. The corpse spun around and growled.

"Loud ass." The arrow shot through its skull in a swift motion and the body thumped to the ground. With one boot on the head, he pulled out the arrow. Always good to recycle, he thought. Suddenly, he froze in place after inspecting it close up and noticing its facial features. It couldn't be...

Back on the other side of the trees, Natalie was kneeling beside Alex and stayed alert to every noise or sight. The boy clutched her hand and shirt tightly, beginning to tremble. Crap, the boy was definitely frightened. What to do, she thought. An idea hit her and she flowed with it. Standing up, she pulled the boy with her. "Hey, you ever climb a tree?"

She pointed a finger upwards. The boy's gaze followed, eyeing the tall tree above them. It was several feet high but the branches extended and looked sturdy enough to support them. Not like the kid weighed that much. He shook his head. She smiled softly and motioned for him to watch her as she stepped to the tree. Bending down on one knee, she told him to come over. The boy obeyed, a little nervous. She lifted him up then he grabbed a branch, encouraging him to pull himself up. He did so, and was already sitting down on the branch above and looking down at her with surprised but excited eyes. Next was her turn, she looked over her shoulder to make sure nothing was around. Clear. So she lifted herself up and sat beside the boy on the branch. Up here the breeze tickled their skin, a great welcome since she never did like summer. Daryl would be back in a couple of moments, she should take this time to get to know more about Alex.

"Is your mom nice?" she asked him, watching his face for any sign.

He nodded. "Yeah, but she yells at me sometimes. Like when I don't clean my plate or close my mouth when eating."

"Don't worry," she laughed. "I yell at Daryl for that, too. And my brother! Even adults do that stuff and get yelled at."

The boy giggled into his hand as they laughed about the hunter being treated like a kid. Once calm, Natalie asked him another question.

"Alex, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. But, what happened to make you hide in that store?" The boy stared downwards and she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Minutes began to pass and she figured the boy was too upset to talk about it. She couldn't blame him, her and Daryl hadn't shared much about each other yet. She did explain about how her old camp had gotten overrun and forced her to leave, unable to help anyone since most of them were gone or already dead. Two of those survivors had become her friends, a guy and girl who made the cutest couple. Unfortunately, she saw them go down and the images would never leave her no matter how much time passed.

"Me and my mom met these people. They had this huge place filled with lots of rooms and little train things. It was cool and they were really nice." The boy paused, looking to the side as if replaying the scene. "They started being mean one day. I don't know why and my mom said to not talk to them or take anything from them. My mom made me eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, we never ate any meat. I like apples so it wasn't bad. We left one day, no one knew."

The girl nodded, though she was completely puzzled. An argument about their food choices wouldn't be such a big deal to make them leave, right? But then again, maybe his mother was a strict vegetarian or something. It was a tough lifestyle but once people acquired it they were extremely devoted to it and refused to accept anything else. That's how the few vegetarians she knew behaved anyway.

"My mom was weird," she started to say, deciding it best to divert the attention away from him. "She was nice and cared about us, but she could be mean sometimes. She never hurt us but it's like she was a different person at times. I always wondered if she really did love us or just took care of us because she had to." It was the truth, her mother could often be very bi-polar or something with her moods changing in an instant. One of the reasons her oldest brother did not hesitate to move away from them but kept in touch. No matter what, they were still family.

"I think she probably loved you. You're really nice, and my mom always said really nice people grew up with someone who loved them." Alex replied, a small smile on his fair face. Returning his smile, she halfway hugged him and thanked him for the compliment. The boy was likely right but she might never know. She had to return to California one day and find out if everyone was all right. Maybe Daryl and Alex would go with her, it'd be great for them to leave Georgia since both admitted not ever visiting any other states. Well, under better circumstances it would be a vacation. Heavy footsteps were coming and she held the boy close to her, scanning below.

"Oh, crap..." she mouthed, not daring to make a sound as three walkers strutted below them. One was a female with short black hair filled with mats and wearing a blue dress. The other two, both males, wore slacks with a white button-up shirt on one and a black shirt on the other. This was no time to question the odd clothing in the woods, she had to keep them lowkey. However, Daryl would be making his way back here, he'd be walking straight into an ambush. If they were lucky then the walkers would pass them and continue their journey. Of course, luck wasn't on her side. One of them decided to randomly look up and saw the two in the tree. Brown and blue eyes opened wide as the walker stared at them before recognizing them as a possible lunch. Damn, this idiot must've told his buddies since they ran towards the tree with growls and snaps of their jaws.

"Shh, it's okay.," she tried to soothe the shaking boy in a hushed tone. "We need to go higher, they can't get up here. We'll be okay." With that, she picked the boy up so he could reach another, higher, branch and hoist himself up firmly. Once he was secure, she did the same. Both were seated atop a large branch. The boy put his arms around her waist and covered his head in her shirt, his hair getting tousled. Moments later Daryl appeared in her line of vision, he stood against a tree with his crossbow raised when his eyes met hers. Several feet away, the three walkers did not notice him. he put a finger to his lips before stepping away the tree and into plain sight. She gasped, was he insane! The hunter whistled, two of the undead turned around and growled like rapid dogs towards him before advancing.

"C'mon, assholes!" he exclaimed and ran, the walkers picking up their pace. One was faster than the other and was nearing Daryl first. Daryl shot an arrow through its head as he tried to keep balance in his backwards run. No time to reload, he kicked the second walker in the gut and it stumbled back. The walker tilted his head in confusion for a second until baring his teeth and lunging forward. Daryl grabbed his knife from his side and stabbed it through the dull eye. He pushed the dead body off of his knife, looking at it before making an approving grunt. Running to the third walker, the female, he picked up a rock then tossed it at her head. Her head bobbled when hit, she quickly faced him with an angry stare. He said a loud, 'shit' once realizing that he forgot to reload. Natalie gaped, thinking that wasn't possible. So he appeared to settle for his knife once more, but a moment later the walker slumped to the ground as Natalie stood behind it, pulling out her bloody knife. She smiled at Daryl then gave him a hug that lasted for half a second. He stilled a little but relaxed, too slow to return it.

"What was that for?" The hunter's face masking his curiosity yet his voice leaked it.

She pretended to flout, but her playful look gave her away. "Do I need a reason to hug you?" Once back at the tree she helped Alex down. On the ground firmly, he dashed past her and towards the oldest brunette. She giggled as the boy put his arms around Daryl who had a shocked yet annoyed look. Awkwardly, he patted the boy's head and untangled the boy from his body.

"Good lord," he said and started to lead them in a new direction. "Must be Hug Daryl Day."

Though he sounded irritated, she could almost make out a little tug at the corners of his lips. That crazy archer, she thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Claim or claimed**

In then out, in then out. That was all she repeated inside of her head as she listened to her even breathing. Sleep was always difficult to achieve when you think too much, mind never shutting down. Damn, and it was quiet outside. No breeze tickling the high branches, no laughing faces, no crying tears, no random chatting, nothing. The car she was inside was one of two that they had found on the road, both empty except for a few items. She was delighted when she found a bag of sunflower kernels. Daryl was happier when he found a pack of cigarettes. The disgusted expression she showed at the sight of the pack had Daryl rolling his eyes. 'Like it matters anymore' Daryl told her. The silver sedan was her bedroom tonight while Daryl and Alex slept inside the blue SUV after they parked the two cars closer. It was one thing to sleep alone after becoming used to another person in the same area for months, but it was another thing to sleep in complete silence where your thoughts never ceased to disturb you. She sighed heavily and wrapped her jacket tighter around her body, she didn't mind the cool air but warmth was always welcomed. How could sh- Uh-oh, footsteps echoed outside. They were steady yet not light enough to be a child. 'Please be Daryl, please be Daryl,' she thought and kept her eyes close. Then the steps stopped near the second passenger window, right next to her spot in the car, so she forced one eye open slowly to peek. Letting out a breath of relief, she recognized the archer's figure standing uncomfortably next to the car. Knock, knock. She yawned and stretched over to unlock the car door with a click.

"Hey, what's up?" Concern evident in her voice as she poked her head out of the car.

"Nothin', just thought I'd check up on ya." he answered. "Did I wake ya?" was added as a quick afterthought.

She shook her head and exited the car, another yawn threatened to escape. He noticed and motioned for them to sit inside of the SUV. Opening the door, he held it open for her then let himself in after she sat comfortably in the backseat and took the seat beside her. The entire front seat was large enough to resemble a twin mattress for the light boy so he slept peacefully under Daryl's jacket. That's when she realized it: he looked very alike to Daryl with their brown strands, icy blue eyes, and that child's smile rivaled the older man's rare smiles.

"Couldn't' sleep?" His question made her look at him.

"Nah, too darn quiet. When it's quiet things seem to be the loudest. If that makes any sense." She ran her hands through her auburn curls, getting halfway stuck with the small tangles. Crap, she needed to find a brush around here.

A deep chuckle emitted from him. "Makes sense." He stared down, suddenly sadness overwhelmed his face and he spoke low. "Gotta tell you somethin'. You know that walker I tracked the other day?"

"Yeah, what happened?" This did not sound good, she had no clue what he was getting to. Oh, God, was he bitten? Could not be, he wouldn't risk their lives and stay with a bite slowly killing him.

"It was a woman. I think his mother. Same exact face and features..." he continued, closing his eyes.

The choked sob she felt in her throat nearly spilled, eyes watering as she stared at him and looked for any signs of him joking. But he was dead serious. How were they going to explain that to Alex? Should they even tell him? Questions were spinning around her, she didn't know what they were going to do.

"Are you sure?" whispered the distraught girl. A nod answered her question. "Should we tell him?"  
Their gazes met and she saw the grief within him, likely from unspoken memories as well. "We have to. One day when he's strong enough to take it. Ain't gonna do him good now."

Her head bowed as sobs rattled her body, struggling to stay quiet and not awake the sleeping boy. The news of the death of his mother set off a wave of emotions. It left her little hope for her own mother and family. She tried to clear her head of the devastating thoughts. It was no use and she couldn't restrain herself from the silent cries. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her body, pulling her close. Daryl rested his chin atop her head, letting her return the embrace. It was a wonder how Alex slept through such commotion.

"Looky what we got here, lovebirds in the backseat." a harsh voice startled them out of their sleep. Natalie rushed off of Daryl and glanced around their vehicle. Five men surrounded them, the one who spoke was a thin guy with black hair that matched his short beard. The one on the opposite side of him was an older man, gray hair revealing his age and stress. Daryl eyed them before grabbing his crossbow off the floor and pointed it towards the closest one that first spoke. The oldest man took notice and held his hands up in surrender.

"Whoa, pal. Take it easy. We don't mean you any harm. We were just passing through." he tried to explain, he appeared not to be worry about the weapon. Then he laughed. "Sorry we interrupted your fun."

Natalie gasped loudly as she bent over the seat to check out the front seat. No one was there, the door stood slightly open. "Oh, my God, where's Alex?!"

Daryl took his eyes off the men to sneak a look at the front seat. Nostrils flaring, he growled and jumped out of the car. "Where the hell's the boy?"

The crossbow aimed directly for the old man's head. The other men pointed their weapons at Daryl in an instant, obviously defending their leader. She cautiously stepped out and behind Daryl before taking out the gun he had given her and pointed it to one of the men approaching them with her back facing Daryl's. The old man chuckled like he just heard a funny song.

"My name's Joe and I'll have to apologize about that. You see, my friend Dan accidentally spooked the kid and he ran off. I'm guessin' he's not good with strangers." Joe tried to lighten the mood, this jerk actually thought that this was funny.

"You guys don't exactly look really friendly." she replied, never lowering her gun.

"Honey, I'll show ya how friendly I can be." one of the men, darker than the others, told her as he gave her a smile that twisted her stomach. Pervert.

Daryl spun around to the dark-skinned man and struck the man in the gut with his crossbow. The others had lowered their weapons after bursting out in laughter at their friend's expense.

"Don't fuckin' talk to her." Daryl warned the man who now lay upon the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning.

Natalie was stunned by his sudden action, she didn't see the black-haired man behind her until she grabbed her by the arms and twisted behind her back. The man held her close and Daryl was ready to pounce. Before he could strike, the leader stepped in between them.

"Len, let go of the girl." he told his soldier. The man, Len, stared in disbelief. Joe's eyes hardened. "You can't claim what's already taken."

What the hell was that supposed to mean, she thought bitterly. The man failed to follow orders fast enough so she kicked him in the knee, buckling him and enabling her freedom. Daryl gripped her waist and held her behind him.

Joe walked up to them, offering a friendly smile and tone. "Hey, how 'bout we help you look for the kid? It was our mistake so let us make it up to you guys."

"Keep your dogs under control an' we won't have any problems." Daryl lowered his weapon but did not loosen his grip on her.

This was dangerous, five men with weapons followed them into the woods. Later a sixth man had joined them, claiming that he had searched for the boy to try to apologize. Dan, as Joe had introduced him, was a heavy fellow with slicked brown and gray hair. She felt a twinge each time Joe talked to Daryl, filing out nonsense about their group being loyal partners. Apparently, they had a special system. No one ever lies, no one steals from the others, and no one betrays any one. Joe said as long as they stood true to the system everyone got along fine. Walking behind Daryl, he still held an arm around her.

"What happens if someone doesn't listen to the system?" The question was the first thing to come out of her mouth since they started walking.

Joe smiled reassuringly before answering. "Well, sweetie, they get punished. The severity of the punishment depending on the crime."

The hunter looked at her the same moment she looked at him, sharing an equal thought that went unsaid after hearing his answer. This guy meant business. The other men could use some lessons on manners, but Joe seemed to keep them in check. It was not hard to figure out that Daryl would suggest joining their faction. It did not feel right, though, seven men and one woman. There were no doubts about Daryl since he had never tried anything with her. But a few of these guys kept giving her funny looks and she tried her best to ignore them. It must've been a while since they last saw a living girl.

"Alex!" hollered Natalie as she darted forward. Up ahead lay a small body that stunned her in her tracks. 'Please, no...' were the only words circling her mind. She fell to her knees next to the boy's body. How could this happen! How did they not hear him wake up and leave...

"Fuck." Daryl whispered and bent down to examine the child. A couple of bruises marked his pale skin, his pink lips parted in an unheard breath, and his once glimmering blue eyes were filled with dull shadows. A bite mark was on his arm. The lack of walkers nearby made her question how he received it. The thought didn't dwell long as she stared at the boy. It had only been a few hours since they saw him.

"Daryl," she cried out while covering her sobs with her hand. He rubbed her back to let her know that he was listening. "W-what if h-he comes back?"

He let out a shaky breath, probably thought of the idea before, then took the gun from her hands. But he trembled, pain overwhelming him and unable to bring himself to do it. He had told her about doing something similar to a friend, but never to a child. It took a lot to do that to an innocent kid who deserved better. With her hand on his arm, she calmed his trembling then made the gun fall from his grasp. They were so engulfed that they forgot the others were around.

"I'm sorry." Joe approached them yet the two did not budge from their positions. "I'll handle it, son. Get the girl away from here."

She felt Daryl nod as his head rested on top of hers, holding and pulling her away. They made it several feet away from the scene and the others. Her tearing eyes refused to leave the sight. Finally, he cupped her face and forced her to look at him.

"Stop it! He needs us!" She struggled against him, she needed to be there for Alex. Why wasn't he letting her, she thought.  
"Hey... Shh," He brought her down with him as he sat down on the ground, pushing her into his lap. "Shh. It's all right. Stop."

"We have to go back, we can't leave him like that!" she shouted until he placed a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

The demands to let her go only caused him to hold tighter. What was wrong with him! Was he not hurt like her? After minutes of dwindling struggles, she gave up and sighed heavily in defeat. She slumped in his arms, closed her eyes, and sobbed into his shirt. It was over, he was gone. They were never going to see him again, never hear his laugh again, never share inside jokes, and she would not see those rare moments where Daryl treated him like a son. Like the time he showed the boy how to cut open a squirrel and the two boys laughed when she almost threw up. A shot rang out, disrupting her memories. It was officially over. They sat there, trapped in each other, eyes closed to hide the unfolding scene, and stayed as if frozen in time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Judge Joe**

The sun was smoldering hot, signaling that it was nearing summer time. Daryl wiped a bead of sweat away with his hand. The jacket he wore was no help, creating unwanted layers. He made a mental note to throw it in Natalie's bag. She sat some feet behind him, keeping a watchful eye, as he tracked through the woods but not leaving her too far. He woke up around the time of, he thinks, 4 AM. The sun hadn't risen at that time so he took this as a chance to hunt. With a gentle shake, he woke the girl up to go with him. No good could come from one girl and six strange men. So he dragged her along. Also another reason why they slept together, a protective arm covering her waist. She had no disagreement about the situation, silently understanding him was something she was good with. Admittedly, something about last night felt good. Having someone who was so vulnerable rely on him sent a bemused twinge through him. His thoughts landed on Alex, the young boy they had lost still hurt him. That was the last straw, he thought, he was not losing Natalie. No more losses piling up. They had to find Rick and find shelter, something permanent and safe. Safe from the dead and the living. This new group of men they had met were interesting, a system to guide everyone and the rules seemed simple enough. Joe, the leader, kept them in line most of the time. One of those idiots was just itching to annoy him already, asking him stupid questions last night. Len was his name. Tall, lanky fellow with black hair and matching beard. 'Stupid prick,' he muttered inwardly while eyeing a brown rabbit. The hare failed to notice him, instead it sat on the grass and nibbled at something between its furry paws. The crossbow was stained with dirt, he noticed as he gripped it and aimed it in line with the rabbit. He crouched and closed his left eye, finger inching to the trigger until he pressed it with full force. The arrow shot through the air, hitting the hare with ease. A surprised squeal came from its mouth. But there were two arrows lodged in its side. He whipped his head around, now facing a standing Len who held his bow and arrow to the side.

"What the hell you doin'?" Daryl asked, standing up to look the man straight on.

"Catchin' me some breakfast." Len replied, shrugging as if this was casual talk.

He huffed in frustration, getting tired of this man's voice, and walked towards the dead rabbit. "Well, that's mine."

Len followed him and said, "My arrow's the one that hit first. The cotton tail belongs ta me."

Daryl ignored him to pick up the rabbit, throwing Len's arrow towards a tree. His own arrow now back in place.

"I been out here since before the sun came up." he explained, letting him know that he had his eyes on it first. The man had to respect that, right?

"You see, the rules of the hunt don't mean jack out here." Daryl stood up and faced the man, not letting go of the hare. This man had no right to come and take what was his. "Now that rabbit you holding is claimed, boy."

With no intention to hand it over, he merely stood in front of the man and clutched the rabbit by its tail. If he wanted it, he would have to take it from him. The other man must've realized this.

"Claimed." Len repeated louder, stopping a few inches away from him. "Whether you like it or not."

Daryl stepped closer to him, an unfaltering look on his face and still made no move to give his prize away.

"So if I was you, I'd hand it over." he said, trying to intimidate the young archer. It failed, intimidation never worked on Daryl unless they could back it up. "Now. 'Fore you get ta wishin' you ain't ever even got outta bed this mornin'."

"It ain't yours." he growled, voice gruffer as he grew irritated with this idiot. The rabbit swinging loosely in his grip.

"Y'know, I'll bet it's that bitch. Got you all messed up." Len said like finding a worldwide discovery. "Am I right? Got you walkin' around here like a dead man. Got yourself a nice piece of tail, huh?"

Daryl stopped after passing the man, looking down and trying to ignore those comments. It wasn't worth it, it was like a game. No point in getting angry, he attempted to reason with himself.

"Tell me something," the idiot continued, turning to face the hunter but only seeing his back. "Why one of the little ones?"

This man needed to stop talking, now. He had little patience in this moment He unhitched his knife from its pouch on his belt. Fingers lightly brushing it.

"'Cause they," Len shook his head. "don't last too long out here." he finished.

That was it. Fingers now grabbing the handle of the knife, he took it out and spun towards the other man. But a hand grabbed his wrist before he could advance. When did Joe get here?

"Easy, fellas, easy." Joe told the two, mostly speaking to Daryl.

Len laughed, an ugly grin marking his face. He glared at the idiot that provoked him. First day and already he was preparing to attack one of them for being a loud ass. What a great start.

"Let's just put our weapons down and see if we can't figure out what's really the problem here, huh?" Joe looked at them like a teacher with two four year-olds fighting over crayons. The older man settled himself in between the two and looked at Len. "Did ya claim it?"

"Hell yeah." Len answered, positioning his bow on his back and giving a smug smile.

Joe turned to Daryl and said, "Well, there ya go. That critter belongs to Len."

"Let's have it." Len stated, reaching out a hand and awaiting his new prize.

'Unbelievable' echoed through his head. He stared at Len then at Joe. It was not fair so Daryl stood there with his jaw clenched. he couldn't let that asshole get the victory that easily.

"Looks like you maybe want an explanation," Joe noticed his reluctance to comply so started to explain. "See, goin' it alone, that ain't an option nowadays. Still it is survival of the fittest. That's a paradox right there. So I laid out some rules of the road to keep things from going Darwin every couple o' hours. Keep our merry band together and stress-free. All ya gotta do is claim. That's how you mark your territory, bed at night, prey. One word: claimed."

Natalie walked up to Daryl, glancing at Joe and Len confusedly for a second. She put her hand on his arm and decided not to say anything yet. She had no clue what this was about, after all.

"I ain't claiming nothin'." Daryl replied, staring straight at Len.

"We gonna teach him, right? The rules say we have to." Len asked Joe through gritted teeth, taking a challenging step towards the younger hunter.

"Wait, what happened here?" Natalie spoke up, her hand preparing to reach for her knife at the sight of Len dangerously approaching them.

Joe shook his head and blocked Len then said to Daryl. "That wouldn't be fair to punish you for violating a rule you never even knew existed."

Len sighed heavily, rubbing his hand over his face and into his hair. He walked away from them, obviously not happy with Joe's lack of punishment.

"Thank you. We'll try to remember the rules fro-" Natalie thanked Joe but Daryl cut off her next sentence.

"Ain't no rules anymore." Although he was speaking to Joe, he watched Len's angry movements.

"Daryl, stop it." she tried to tell him. It was no use. A stubborn attitude was a Dixon trademark that he never left without. This girl would understand one day.

"Listen to the lady, Daryl. Yes, there are rules. That's why I didn't kill ya for the crossbow." Joe explained further.

Then Daryl felt a tug on his rabbit. Joe had grabbed the other end, holding it out lengthwise.

"Easy there, partner." said the leader after Daryl uttered a 'Hey!'.

Daryl angrily watched him, wondering what the old man was planning. Then a sharp cut to the middle of the rabbit's body sliced it in two equal pieces. Blood and guts spilled out, causing Natalie to turn away. The same reaction whenever Daryl skinned one of his kills. One half stayed in his hand and the other was thrown to Len. This wasn't the solution he wanted but it would have to do. Len walked away, ignoring the other three.

"Claimed." Joe gave his final ruling. "That's all you gotta say." With that, he left in the same direction as the other man.

Daryl cursed and put the end of the rabbit into his bag. He began to walk, knowing that Natalie was following him.

"I can't believe he did for a rabbit. What a jerk." Natalie was at least on his side.

Daryl mumbled a 'pussy's more like it' before searching for clues to find another prey. Hopefully one that won't be cut in half. This was beginning to look stupid. Joe had been reasonable enough, that he was thankful for. Next time he won't let that bastard get to him since he only did it to get a rise out of Daryl. Forget that, he told himself. Time to find an appetizer.

The darkening sky showed that dusk was approaching. A smooth breeze ruffled their hairs as they walked. A long set of train tracks lay before them. Daryl trod at the front of the group, Joe beside him. Several feet behind the two were Natalie tracing Daryl's tracks yet too far to talk. Behind her were the rest of Joe's men. It had been quiet these past hours, every one seemed hesitant to break the silence. The current goal was to find a shelter for the night. Walking along these tracks, he wondered where the hell the train stops were. If nothing revealed itself soon, they would have to camp again for the night. The lack of a barbed fence would force one of them on watch duty. It would have to be someone other than Daryl, he needed his sleep. Especially in the day he had to keep an eye on things. But if it were absolutely necessary then he had no choice.

"So, what's the plan, Daryl?" Joe's calm voice knocking him back into the moment.

"How so?" Not understanding the question, he had no clue where this was going.

"Well, you're with us now but ya ain't soon?" Joe cleared the confusion and faced him. Their pace equal in speed.

It was a ridiculous to ask. He could not be a part of this group forever. It was not him. At least not anymore. Maybe if he was like his old self back in Atlanta he would definitely fit in. But things had changed him, people changed him. Rick, Carol, Beth, etc, they helped shape him and he couldn't forget that. Not in the mood to talk, he answered with a simple, "Yup."

"So what's the plan?" asked once again, more emphasis this time.

"Just, uh, looking for the right place. Is all." Daryl gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, not sure if that's what Joe wanted to hear.

"Oh, we ain't good enough for ya, huh." Joe stated rather than asked, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Daryl looked down as he continued walking. He hadn't expected that comment. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time that he was around these types of men. Merle had dozens of them as buddies. "Well, some of ya ain't exactly friendly."

"You ain't so friendly yourself." He chuckled at the younger man's words, who then stayed silent. "Y'know you need a group out here."

As soon as the words left Joe's mouth, he said, "Maybe I don't."

"No, you do." A serious tone demanding his attention. "You should be with us."

Up ahead he heard a growl, a walker crossed their path. It looked female from the long hair. The long sleeve shirt and regular pants, both tan and stained with blood, were no indication. Two of Joe's men swiftly passed them and headed for the walking dead body. One was the heavy guy he recognized as Dan but forgot the other one's name. The skinnier man shoved the corpse backwards, Dan caught her arms and placed them behind her back. Then a third man came up and stabbed her through the skull. After, they let her body fall to the side.

"Just gotta follow the rules. You claim," Joe spoke again, tearing his eyes away from the scene. When did this guy ever take a break. "If ya steal, ya kill. I know that sounds a little funny but nobody laughs when something goes missing. And you don't lie 'cause that's a slippery slope indeed."

The rules were sensible enough. Though he made a quick face at the word 'kill' but decided to ignore it for now. "What happens if you break 'em?"

"Ya catch a beating." Joe stared at him for a second. "The severity of which depends upon the offence and the general attitude of the day. But that don't happen much 'cause when men like us follow rules and cooperate a little bit.. well, the world becomes ours."

He recalled Joe saying something similar after they first met and Natalie asked a similar question. Something about a beating was not mentioned at the time, though, so he questioned inwardly if this was true. Half a mile ahead he could make out the faint outline of a large building. It was hard to decipher what type but it could probably fit them all in one spot.

"There's something else I wanna discuss with you," Daryl faced him, getting ready to protest if this was about the damned rabbit again. That was over and done with. "What's your relationship with that girl Natalie?"

Joe always had a way of throwing unexpected questions his way. "What's it to ya?"

"Well, she obviously ain't related to ya. So that makes me wonder what a girl like her is doing with a guy like you." Joe nodded his head in her direction when he mentioned her name. "Our type and hers don't exactly mix in normal society."

'Our type' had the younger man puzzled, what was that supposed to mean? He had a fair idea of what the old man could've meant. A hick and a spic, though it did rhyme, rarely settled together. Merle would be laughing his ass off at him, 'babysitting a baby wetback' he would say. That racism transferred from their father. But Merle also said 'Pussy is pussy' whenever he did it with a colored girl. His brother never had one for anything other than a one-time fuck, though.

"No more normal society." Daryl said, not sure how to explain their relationship, whatever it was, to him.

"That's true. See, I have five men here that ain't seen a woman in a long while. Too long." He stared at the leader, squinting his eyes as he heard him continue. "Well, make that four. Dan is, uh, playing for the other team."

"So, what's that gotta do with me and her?" he asked suspiciously.

The gray-haired man chuckled. "Some questions have been raised about her status. The way we found ya in that car, with her on top of you, we automatically assumed she was yours. But since then we've noticed the lack of kisses and touches."

They did not do anything sexual that night, but the sight could be seen that way. Either way, it wasn't any of their business. Survival life and personal life didn't need to mix. And he was definitely not the type to provide others with a show anyway. "What're you gettin' at?"

"How long it been since you met her, Daryl?"

"About a couple months." he mumbled, noticing the building getting bigger. "Truthfully? She found me."

Joe laughed and patted him on the back. "Ain't that something? She claimed you."

He let out a snort of amusement. "Ain't like that." Honestly, he had a hard time deciding if it was like that in a way as he recalled the night she wanted to go with him no matter what. And here they were, keeping true to her promise of staying by his side.

"What is it like then? 'Cause my boys wouldn't mind claiming if she was unmarked territory." Seeing Daryl's disbelieving face he quickly added, "Of course, rules are rules. So there won't be any stealing."

How could he talk about her like that! This was not a doll that a class of children were fighting for, this was a human being for Christ's sake. As previously stated, Daryl hardly found these men friendly. The thought of them being with her, getting close and touching her sent chills. Without realizing it, his jaw had tightened.

"Looks like ya do got something goin' on, judging by that angry look on your face." Joe stopped their walk, looking Daryl in the eye. "Do her a favor, pal, and make it loud and clear who she belongs to."

He scoffed at the older man and said, "She ain't a toy." But Joe shook his head and sighed. Both of them on different pages.

"To you, maybe. But this new world can be a person's, especially a girl, worst nightmare." His eyes darkened. "Remember the rule? Claim. Do it before someone finds out and decides they will."

Daryl's gaze fell downwards. Realization of what the gray-haired man was suggesting dawned upon him. It would not come to that, he would make sure of that. No matter how.

* * *

A/N: I think my longest chapter yet, lol. Thanks for reading thus far and hope you guys like it! :)


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